Enzo Fernandez: Chelsea’s midfield maestro takes centre stage | OneFootball

Enzo Fernández is no longer just the World Cup-winning prodigy Chelsea splashed out on. He’s grown into a central figure, not just tactically, but emotionally, for a side that’s still trying to define itself.

In a team full of change, injury setbacks, and tactical reshuffles, the Argentine midfielder has quietly become the beating heart of the squad and his recent performance against Esperance de Tunis only reinforced that.

In Chelsea’s 2–0 win over Esperance in the Club World Cup, Fernández was everywhere. Wearing the captain’s armband, he looked right at home leading a side still gelling, yet delivered a composed, commanding performance.

His fingerprints were all over both goals - two assists, clever distribution, and the kind of calm leadership you don’t often see in players his age.

Fernández now sits on 25 goal contributions (9G/16A) across all competitions in 2024/25, second only to Cole Palmer (26) in the Chelsea squad.

His 16 assists also place him third among Premier League players across all competitions, behind only Mohamed Salah (23) and Bruno Fernandes (18).

Now, Chelsea’s next Club World Cup fixture brings a twist of fate: a matchup against Benfica, Enzo’s former club. It was from there that Chelsea splashed £105 million to bring him to Stamford Bridge in January 2023 - a deal that raised eyebrows at the time.

Two years on, it’s starting to look like money well spent. Fernández has grown into the role, matured as a leader, and become the kind of player Chelsea fans can build hope around.